The present invention relates to a rear seat apparatus of a trunk through type including a communicating port communicated with a luggage boot.
In a conventional rear seat apparatus such as the one disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 59-15715, as shown in FIG. 1, the seat apparatus 1 for vehicle comprises a top portion 2 and right and left side portions 3 and 4 which are integrally formed in the shape of a U and form a communicating port 5 communicated with a trunk room.
Connecting rings 6 and 7 are respectively connected to the right and left side portions 3 and 4 at the bottom ends thereof and are connected to unillustrated respective right and left wheel housings. Both the side portions 3 and 4 are connected to each other by a reinforcing member 8 at their lower ends thereof. The reinforcing member 8 has attaching brackets 9 and 10 at both side ends thereof, and side hinge brackets 11 and 12 are fastened to the attaching brackets 9 and 10 by bolts 13a and 14, respectively. The side hinge brackets 11 and 12 are respectively connected to the back portions of main seat backs 15 and 16 by screws 17 and 18. Lock mechanisms 19 and 20 are respectively attached to the main seat backs 15 and 16 at the upper portions thereof to lock the main seat backs 15 and 16 into the frame of the seat apparatus when the main seat backs 15 and 16 are pivotally raised up. A central hinge bracket 21 is secured to the central portion of the reinforcing member 8 and has pins 22 and 23 projected on both sides thereof. The pins 22 and 23 of the central hinge bracket 21 are respectively inserted into and engaged with holes 24 and 25 disposed on opposite sides of the main seat backs 15 and 16. A plurality of attachment members 26 in the reinforcing member 8 are backwardly projected to secure the seat apparatus including the reinforcing member 8 to an unillustrated seat back support member.
FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the conventional apparatus. A seat apparatus 1a comprises right and left side seat portions 3 and 4 and right and left main seat backs 15a and 16a disposed therebetween. The right and left side seat portions 3 and 4 respectively have unillustrated connecting rings disposed in the upper portions thereof and inserted into and engaged with unillustrated holes formed in a seat back support member 27. The right and left side seat portions 3 and 4 respectively have connecting rings 6 and 7 disposed in the bottoms thereof to attach the right and left side seat portions 3 and 4 to unillustrated wheel housings. Top portions 2a and 2b are integrally formed with the right and left main seat backs 15a and 16a, respectively. A side hinge bracket 11 has a hole for attaching the hinge bracket 11 to the seat back support member 27 by screwing a bolt 45 into this hole and an engaging hole 27a disposed in the seat back support member 27. The main seat backs 15a and 16a are rotatably supported at the outer lower ends thereof by the seat back support member 27 by screwing a bolt 13b into a hole disposed in each side hinge bracket 11 and each of engaging holes of the main seat backs 15a and 16a disposed at the outer lower ends thereof. A central hinge bracket 21 is secured to the seat back support member 27 by screwing bolts 28 into central engaging holes 60 of the seat back support member 27. The central hinge bracket 21 has pins 22 and 23 projected on both sides thereof and engaged with engaging holes 24 and 25 of the right and left main seat backs 15a and 16a disposed on the opposite sides thereof to rotatably support the seat backs 15a and 16a on the central sides thereof. A seat striker 29 is secured onto the seat back support member 27 and is fitted into a hole 30 disposed in the back portion of each of the main seat backs 15a and 16a. The seat striker 29 can be engaged and disengaged from each main seat back by an unillustrated locking mechanism.
In the conventional apparatus shown in FIG. 1, it is necessary to dispose the reinforcing member 8 which holds the strength of the integrally formed U-shaped seat back frame and which rotatably supports the main seat backs 15 and 16, thereby increasing the weight of the seat apparatus 1 and the number of operations for attaching the apparatus to a vehicle which is troublesome. In the conventional apparatus shown in FIG. 2, the seat apparatus 1a is divided into four sections, i.e., the right and left side portions 3 and 4, and the right and left main seat backs 15a and 16a which are independently attached to the seat back support member 27. Therefore, clearances tend to be formed between these individual members and the top portions of the side seat portions 3 and 4 may be not in alignment with the top portions 2a and 2b of the main seat backs 15a and 16a in the widthwise direction of the apparatus, thereby the appearance looking bad.